MCD’s sealing drive hit as police fail to cooperate

The MCD has alleged that the Delhi Police is not co-operating with it while carrying out their sealing drive against commercial establishments in the Capital.

The MCD has alleged that the Delhi Police is not co-operating with it while carrying out their sealing drive against commercial establishments in the Capital.

HT Image

The central zone of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) could seal only two premises in Kalkaji market on Monday due to lack of police force.

According to the civic agency, action is being initiated against the commercial establishments as the owners of the property had failed to deposit the annual conversion charges within the stipulated date prescribed in the Master Plan 2021.

“The action could not be effectively carried out due to stiff resistance of shopkeepers and inadequate police force.

Before initiating action, we had served notices to more than 900 defaulting shopkeepers who had not deposited the conversion charges,” said a senior MCD official.

Property owners running commercial activities from their premises situated on notified roads are required to deposit the annual conversion charges on or before June 30 every year.

Close to 900 shops in important markets of Delhi such as Lajpat Nagar Central Market, Kalkaji and Kotla Mubarakpur among others are facing a sealing threat.

On an average each shop owner needs to pay Rs 1.20 lakh per floor as conversion charges.

“We had written to the Delhi Police for providing adequate force as a security measure but they didn’t cooperate,” added the official.